Umbrella-runner.



No. 674,005. Patented May I4, I90l.

N. D. INGRAM. Y.

UMBRELLA RUNNER.

(Application fled Dec. 18, 1900.)

(No Model.)

tlnrrnn Srnrins PATnNT OFFICE.

NATHAN D. INGRAM, OF BROOKLYN, YORK.

UMBnELLA-RUNNER.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent NO. 674,005, dated May 14, 1901.

Application tiled Deembel 18, 1900. Serial. N0. 40,258. (N0 model.)

To @ZZ whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, NATHAN D. INGRAM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Umbrella-Runners, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention is in the nature of animprovement upon the umbrella-runner forming the subject of my Patent No. 641,114, dated January 9, 1900; and the invention consists of a sliding tube encircling the runner-tube proper and adapted to engage the upper and lower catches to operate them, and comprising a cylindrical tubular portion projecting below the runner-tube and affording a finger-grasp for operating the sliding tube to raise and lower the runner-tube by effecting the engagement of the runner-tube with the upper and lower catches and its disengagement therefrom, the catches being concealed within the sliding tube when the runner-tube is in engagement with such catches. There is also provided what I designate a bottle-shaped slot formed in the runnertube for engagement with the catches.

It is the experience of most umbrella-users that there is always greater or less necessity for moving the runner laterally somewhat, so as to make it engage with the catch when the umbrella is closed. In order to obviate this diiiiculty and at the same time secure the firm engagement of the runner-tube with the catch when the umbrella is closed, I increase the width of the slot on either side of a mediau line audcontinue the slot in' the line of this median line for a width just sufficient to engage the catch, so that the runner-tube may readily engage the catch in the wider portion of its slot, and then by a further drawing of the tube toward the handle the catch enters the contracted portion of the slot. l This slot is the bottle-shaped slot above referred to.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating my invention, in both figures of which like parts are similarly designated, Figure 1 is a vertical section of my improvement applied to the upper catch of an umbrella, and Fig. 2 is a similar view illustrating the bottle-shaped slot with the parts in position to engage the lower catch.

d may represent the handle, of metal,wood, or other material, supplied with an upper catch b, of any approved construction, and a lower catch c. In the preferred construction these two catches instead of being arranged at a distance of ninety degrees may be arranged in the same longitudinal plane. The runner-tube CZ is provided With a notch-ring e, having the spreadersf, as usual. This tube is provided with a circumferential bead g.

his the sliding tube, having the cylindrical portions t' andj of su bstantially the same diameter and fitting closely to the outer sur* face of the tube d and also having the cylindrical portion 7e of considerably greater diameter than the portions 7,' and j and connected with the portions t' andj by the beveled portions-Z and fm, which beveled portions Z and m constitute, in effect, cams for depressing the catches to release the runner-tube. The sliding tube h has its motion lengthwise of the tube CZ limited by the notch e and the circumferential bead g, or, if desired', the movement in one direction may be limited by its base flange or bead n coming in contact with the outer end of the runner-tube.

The runner-tube d is provided with the bottle-shaped slot o, the main portion of which is, for example, alittle over three times the width of the catch,with acentral portion onlyslightly wider than the width of the catch, this central portion forming what is herein referred to as the contracted portion of the slot. As already indicated, the wider portion ofthe slot is provided in order the'more readily to find and engage the catch, especially in closing the umbrella, its contracted portion being entered by the catch when the limit of motion has been reached lengthwise of the stick, and thus the umbrella frame and cover are held from undue movement.

The construction and arrangement of the sliding tube, with its portion] projecting always beyond the runner-tube and its portion 7i always concealing or inclosing either the upper or the lower catch, enables me to operate the runner and both catches without at any time touching the catches with the hand. It will be understood that when it is desired to lower the umbrella the sliding tube his moved into the dotted-line position, Fig. 1, so that its bevel Z will engage the catch and depress IOO it, and so when the umbrella is in the closed position, as indicated in Fig. 2, and it is desired to open it the sliding tube. is moved in the direction of the arrow by engaging the portion j until its bevel m engages the catch -c and depresses it, and thus permits the runner-tube to be passed over such catch.

In my patent referred to the part corresponding` to what is herein designated the sliding tube incloses the outer end of the runner-tube, and in another patent the upper and lower catches 'are inclosed within the sliding tube; but I am not aware that prior to my present invention a sliding tube is provided with aportion which projects beyond the runner-tube and affords a hand-grasp for the operation of the runner and which sliding tube incloses the upper and lower catches and operates them.

What I claim is- 1. An umbrella-runner having a bottle-p shaped slot, comprising a runner-tube, and a surrounding sliding tube having end portions the intermediate portion receiving and engaging both the upper and the lower catch, one of the end portions extending beyond the outer end of the runner-tube at a distance substantially equal to the maximum movement of the sliding tube necessary to place the same in operative engagement with the upper and lower catches of an umbrella, sub-` stantially as described.

2. An umbrella-runner, comprising a runner-tube having a catch finding and engaging slot comprising a portion several times wider than the catch and merging in a portion substantially the width of the catch, and a surrounding sliding tube having end portions fitted to the runner-tube and an intermediate portion of considerably greater diameter than the end portions and adapted to receive and conceal each of the catches when the runner-tube is in engagement with the respective catches, the end portions being connected to the intermediate portion by beveled portions which form catch-operating cams, one of the end portions extending beyondthe outer end ot' the runner-tube and constituting a linger-grasp by which the runner may be operated, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set myhand this 17th day of December, A. D. 1900.

NATHAN D. INGRAM.

Witnesses: v ALFRED H. BAMBERGER, JULIUS IsAAcs.

Correction in Letters Patent No. 674,000

It is hereby eertied that in Letters Patent No. 674,005, granted May 14, 1901, upon the application of Nathan D. Ingram, of Brooklyn, New York, for an improvement in Umbrella-Runners, an error appears in the printed specification requiring correction, as follows: wIn lines 21-22, page 2, the words having a bottle-shaped slot should be stricken out and the same inserted after the Words runner-tube, line 22, Patent should be read with this correction Office.

same page; and that the said Letters therein that the same may conform to the record of the ease in the Patent Signed, oonntersigned, and sealed this 21st day of May, A. D., 1901.

[SEAL] F. L. CAMPBELL,

Assistant Secretary of the Interior.

Countersigned z E. B. MOORE,

Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

